wooÐs

No. I'm lying. But I'm tired of seeing those commercials where people appear to be receiving new vehicles from their significant others or parents for a holiday / birthday gift. I understand the whole marketing dealio but I know of no one who's received a brand new car for a present. Nor do I know of anyone who's given one. Has anyone here been on the giving or receiving end of such a surprise?

highthief

I sold cars for a living at one point and did have a customer who bought a car for their husband.

My Dad, many, many, many years ago gave me his old car when he bought a new one.
I was about 21 and it was really an enormous surprise. The car was about 4 or 5 years old at that point but was great for me.

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redsneaker

Yep. Once. A very long time ago, in a very different financial situation.

fresnelly

Did you at least get the giant bow that goes on top?

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Borla

I did get a car for a present for my wife, but it wasn't a surprise. On any financial decisions that major we always communicate beforehand. I also wouldn't get her a car without at least consulting her first for her opinion as to whether she liked it or not.

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Daniel_

My first car was a gift from my parents for my 17th Birthday, but it was a 15 year old crap box. I loved it very much.

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Hektore

Well, a very good friend of mine in college received a brand new VW bug from her boyfriend for her birthday. Although, that isn't a particularly good example because, as it turns out, their relationship was failing at the time and it was a passive aggressive attempt by him to gain leverage over her to keep her in the relationship.

She was a nicer person than I was, as soon as she realized what was going on she gave the car back and broke up with him, I would have kept the car.

Of course none of this applies to you, I'm just relaying the only story I'm familiar with.

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canuckguy

I use to install car stereos for a high end shop and we had a lady come in with a brand new Honda civic that she wanted a nice system put into for her son. The car was a gift to him for graduating high school (!!!) and she wanted to dropped 5k on a stereo for the car as he liked loud music.

She presented the car to the teenager at the shop so we could show him how everything works. First words out of his mouth were not thanks or your the best mom ever, it was "i wanted a silver Honda, not blue."

what an ungrateful twat. My ex's father gave her mom a car for christmas one year, they were rich so it was no big deal to them.

percy

Went to high school with a guy who got an Alfa Romeo for his 16th birthday. Brand spanking new cherry red. He wrecked it about 3 months later and his dad bought him another one. Daddy owned a large commercial construction company.

wooÐs

I didn't think back to high school but now that I do look back, I know a couple football players who received Corvettes their senior year. Wonder what they're up to today.

Xerxys

My Super Sweet 16 | Full Episodes, Photos, Episode Synopsis and Recaps | MTV

OK now wooÐs, what now huh?? What now?

wooÐs

*picks jaw up off floor and takes deep, cleansing breath*

I look forward to the episode where the chick from the ghetto beats her filthy white, spoiled rotten ass.

GreyWolf

I went to university with, and (very) briefly dated, a young woman who was upset that her father wouldn't give her a car until she finished university. At one point, in her first term, she got tired of classes and without telling her parents, bought a plane ticket home and called her father's driver to come pick her up. She came back the next week, not with her own car... but she had appropriated her father's Thunderbird for the term! We had some very great times in that car (students with cars were a relative rarity in those days).

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bazkitcase5

wow... spoiled kids depress me

regarding canuckguy's post, complaining about the color of the car? really? I would have to restrain myself from punching him in the face

Baraka_Guru

I'm probably at least a year or two (or more) before being in a position to be able to buy my first car. So the idea of being gifted one is a nice thought. But the thought of someone being so ungrateful/spoiled as to complain about the colour of such a gift as the first and most prominent words out of one's mouth makes me want to punch them in the throat.

And then kick the front fender in.

I don't know anyone personally who has received such a gift.

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telekinetic

I know plenty of people who have gotten cars for gifts. Mostly it is 16th birthday presents, but my bosses wife at my old company got a Mercedes for Xmas (this was a while ago, she in return had bought the whole family matching iPhones, right when they first came out).

Is this really that uncommon?

Edit: Just asked Mrs. Tele, she got a new car for her 16th, and can't think of any of her friends who didn't. Some were 'new' used cars, but most were new.

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Glory's Sun

Friend in high school got a Viper RT/10 for his 16th...

I've purchased 2 cars for the wife as a gift..

I know tons of people who received cars as gifts for either xmas or a birthday.

Bear Cub

I don't care how great a woman sucks dick, she's not getting a car. Lady Bear Cub does a fine job, and she only ended up with a sewing machine.

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Willravel

I bought my little bro a car (for his birthday, iirc).

It wasn't a brand new Lexus with a big red bow, though. That's just silly.

Sion

how long did it take him to wreck it?

wow, I just cannot imagine giving a car that powerful to a kid who just got a license.

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Brandon G.

I've never gotten anything in the way of a new vehicle from my mom. The car I'm looking at now is going to be a clunker (well, a '91 Ford Thunderbird shouldn't be TOO bad), but I'm buying it myself, as my first car. Nineteen years old, and finally getting my first car, so I don't have to drive my mom's all over!

laconic1

I remember a girl in high school getting a new '96 Dodge Neon as a graduation present, but that was it. And that was a stripped down base model with no options. But at least she was thrilled with it, unlike that ungrateful d-bag canuckguy mentioned.

MSD

That's just stupid. It's not even about the power, there are plenty of cars with power that are very driveable, it's the fine line between where you're able to drive it and where it's just too much. You really have to have driven one to understand exactly what I'm talking about, but I'd put it only slightly below the 911 GT2 in the category of most likely to kill you if you don't know what it can do.
I have one of those as a beater. My advice is to test the sunroof and doors by going through a carwash on test drive. Nothing like getting rained on inside your car with the windows closed.

Glory's Sun

He still has the car. He babied that car (still does) and never went above 80 on it. He has a mercedes he drives every day now, but he still pulls out the viper every now and then.

Sion

and how many 16 year old boys even realize that line is there, much less know where it is?

how do you know I haven't?

thanks for making my point for me.

wow...that is a rare kid indeed.

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nomcat

A friend of mine bought a beaten up old '63 Mercedes 230-SL and hid it for 4 years whilst spending ridiculous amounts of money restoring it to showroom condition. He gave it to his wife on valentine's day! The bummer is that it doesn't have seatbelts (true to original) so she's too scared to drive it!! He's gonna have seatbelts fitted soon though... damned shame to see a car like that sit in a garage not moving.

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Leto

I bought my wife a new car about 12 years ago. It was for her birthday. It wasn't too much of a surprise, because we had spent the previous 2 years car shopping and had been waffling on a decision. So one day during lunch, I went to 3 different VW dealerships with a certified cheque and asked for their best deals.

Got a demo (11km) '97 jetta (in 1997) and after a couple days of paperwork, surprised my wife with it on her birthday. There was even a ribbon on top.

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wooÐs

Gotta say, if you're going to do something like this, do it right. Like Leto did lol.

tcp

Yes, but, like he said, it wasn't really a surprise, although it was very endearing.

It's become obvious that's is very hard to do for the following reasons:
1) Unless you are made of money, you are only going to buy a car for someone with whom you share financial responsibilities, therefore you need to consult them on such a big purchase.
2) You don't know exactly what they want unless you ask them seriously. They may have wanted to shop for their own car, made specific selections on features, and found a deal they were comfortable with. You're sticking them with that car for many years.

This is just my personal opinion, but there are more thoughtful gifts. You get a car that you can afford. If you are able to get someone their dream car, then that alone should be enough. You don't need to surprise them.

blahblah454

The newest vehicle I have ever owned (besides my bike) was made in 1990.

My dad had a 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix that he let me drive after I graduated from highschool, and he actually gave it to me when I went to university. I loved that car and took excellent care if it. I ended up in a long term relationship with a lady with a kid and bought a minivan (don't laugh) and was going to sell the car, but instead I gave it to my older brother because he was hard up for cash and needed a ride.... he crashed it about two weeks later.

I now own a 1990 Olds 88, what a sexy car that is!! Decent on gas, giant 5-body trunk! I like my A to B cars, anything more seems like kind of a waste at this point in my life.

wooÐs

I totaled one of those in high school. Hey, back then it wasn't a bad looking car lol. Black with that velvety maroon interior. My head went through the windshield (which may explain a lot.)

Memorieees!

StanT

Both of my daughters received used cars for their 16th birthdays. They also received 6 month of paid in full insurance with the receipt so they knew how much they needed to earn by then.

"Happy Birthday, we're tired of driving you, get a job so you can make your next insurance payment."

LoganSnake

Fuck that noise. Even if I am ever in a position of buying cars left and right, my kids are not getting cars from me. If they want them, they can work and buy whatever they can afford. I'll pay half the insurance cost up until the first crash. Then they're on their own.

As for giving cars to wives, that's not happening unless I know for sure what she wants.

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